Customer Reviews

Radio Pyongyang: Commie Funk & Agit Pop From

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I played this for a friend of mine at work, and he noted the striking disco beats and synthesizers. The album is full of them. It's heavy on the Pochonbo Electronic Ensemble, whose name alone should tell you what you are in for listening to this. But they are catchy tunes ("Reunification Rainbow", the song at the start of "New Model Army", has invaded my brain and is trying to send other parts of my brain to labor camps), and you can't get more north Korean without an accordion. Cheesy disco beats under huge choruses, sounds of gunfire, and English and Korean language excerpts of propaganda broadcasts. If you like eclectic music, this may just be for you.

Wow.. what a CD. For anyone curious about North Korea, this is an amazing collection of music. It is beautiful and I think it is going to haunt me for a long time. There isn't really all that much information out there about what life is really like in North Korea - but this CD definitely gives an insight. The tunes are scarily enrapturing, the music both uplifting and depressing at the same time. It has a definite dictatorship feel to it.. I completely recommend this, it is a fascinating listen that will stay with me. The style of the CD is nice too, the radio format makes it feel even more real, as if you are truly listening to a broadcast. It is definitely pleasant on the ears, even if it sends chills down my spine. A very unique look at North Korea, that's for sure.

This album strikes a resonant chord in all thoses possessing a "correct" revolutionary fervor. There is not leftist deviation here or sappy "rightest" moralizing.
We were particularly fond of the resonant sounds of AK 47's and light artillery in the first track. This was only matched by the gripping sounds of the Stalinist peon to revolution the harmonies of 40 thousand Koreans singing stalinist praises raises the hair on one's head. We were somewhat put off by the chipmunk like voices on track 5 called Start em young, but we were consoled by the fact that the revolution is in safe hands. One only hopes the American left adopts this album as a Christmas present as its revolutionary fervor is unsurpassed. One need not understand a word to get the message. We can only hope the rest of the world agrees....up the revolution!! Harry + Charnie Batchelder